Research Interests

Dr. Zhao has been interested in the discovery of biomarkers for the diagnosis and molecular targets for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Based on his observation that RPS6KB1 and CDC2 genes were amplified in a subset of DLBCL, he and his coworkers evaluated the activity of RPS6KB1 and CDC2 gene products in DLBCL and found that their activities were responsible for the proliferation of lymphoma cells. Targeting their products inhibited the proliferation and led to apoptosis of the lymphoma cells. In collaboration with numerous physicians/scientists nationwide, he also investigated the molecular mechanism of lymphoma development, particularly the crosstalk between the different signal transduction pathways of DLBCL. Dr. Zhao recently became interested in HIV-related malignant lymphomas. He will continue to pursue both independent and collaborative endeavors in discovering novel biomarkers and understanding the molecular biology of hematologic malignancies.

Biography

Dr. Zhao received his medical degree from Shandong University School of Medicine, China. He subsequently undertook graduate study at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, and received a M.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology. He pursued further research training at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and was awarded a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. He then did his postdoctoral research at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, before he entered the pathology residency at the SUNY at Buffalo. After his AP/CP training, he was accepted into the Hematopathology Fellowship Program of the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently became Assistant Professor/Hematopathologist of Washington University in St. Louis. He was recruited to the University of Maryland School of Medicine as Director of Hematopathology and Program Director of Hematopathology Fellowship. He later received his M.B.A from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, before he came to the University of California San Diego/VAMC as the Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Core Laboratory, VAMC.